


I Watch Superman Fly Away (come back i'll be with you one day)

by PeachyKeener



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: (and boyfriend ;)), Emotional Whump, Harley Keener is a Good Bro, I hope you all like this, Jealous Peter Parker, Jokes about first times, M/M, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Precious Peter Parker, and peter parker doesnt know how to deal with that, anyway, but how can you go against hunky farmboy ex??, harley had an ex boyfriend, he looks like clark kent from smallville and its important to me yall know ths, only "slightly", peters trying so hard to flirt, precious harley keener, yes i did stop wirting for a month and this is what i come back with
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27782062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeachyKeener/pseuds/PeachyKeener
Summary: “So uh-” Peter got even redder, and Harley’s heart sped up. “Will you-”“Harley!” A voice, something he had longed to hear in his first two months here shouted across the wind. “Harls! Sunshine!”aka harley keeners ex boyfriend from the south comes up to visit harley and peter feels invisible
Relationships: (mentioned) Harley Keener & Flash Thompson, (mentioned) Michelle Jones & Harley Keener, (mentioned) Michelle Jones & Peter Parker, (mentioned) Ned Leeds & Harley Keener, Harley Keener & Peter Parker, Harley Keener/Original Male Character(s), Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker
Comments: 21
Kudos: 373





	I Watch Superman Fly Away (come back i'll be with you one day)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi im so soryr i like disappeared for a month but I'm back now (kinda) and i really hope you guys like this. I really really hope you guys like this because i put a lot of effort into it. I love you guys and Im sorry i made you guys wait for a new story.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who stuck by me panicking and complaining and spiralling this month cause of writers block. Thank you to ava who did all that but also beta'd for me. I love yall. 
> 
> PS. I know the beginning is a liddol chunky but i promise it gets good

Harley loved New York a lot. The big buildings, the bright lights, the people, the easy access to mass amounts of different varieties of food- seriously, he didn’t even realize Turkish food was a thing and now it was available to him any time of the day or night, and Jesus Christ, he was very thankful for it. 

He loved New York a lot. 

It wasn’t just the scenery and the food, but the people he’d met in New York. Flash Thompson was an asshole, but at the end of the day, Harley’d never ever met anyone who was so quick and easy to banter with in the way Flash was. He was confident in the most unsure way Harley had ever seen, and he liked the tentative and quiet nature that came with helping Flash find his footing after he’d decided to be a nicer guy. 

Michelle Jones was another person Harley found himself loving. He’d never had a friend that was quiet and well-read and _outspoken_ as she was, and to be honest, Harley was a little proud of how quickly that she had ended up becoming one of his best friends. From what he heard from Peter and Ned and Flash they had all struggled to earn a little bit of respect that had led to friendship. With him, it was almost immediate, and he’d like to think it was because game respected game, but he knew for a fact it was a little but more like he was a struggling duckling in a pond of sharks, waiting to pounce on him. Stupid STEM schools. 

Ned was a sweetheart too- the guy was the only person on earth that could keep up with the massive amount of Star Wars continent that he produced. Ned went feral over his fanart, and had even offered to commission him a few times, but Harley didn’t accept that. Other than Star Wars, they pretty much geeked out about their love of coding and math together- and occasionally, he’d talk to Betty about how amazing and handsome Ned was. No progress on that front yet, but he’d like to imagine the other girl really did like him back. 

Then there was Peter…Peter…sweet, soft, sensitive Peter. Peter who made him laugh and talked to him about chemistry and wrote for the school newspaper. Peter who lectured him on the rules of three, and once told Flash he was an idiot for not seeing that Harley was clearly the most beautiful person in their little friend group. Peter, who made his chest feel tight and his cheeks feel warm. Peter who got along with Tony, Peter who charmed his little sister, Peter who was so- so very- perfect. Perfect Peter Parker. 

These people were the reason that Harley loved New York. They were the reason he adored waking up in the city every day. They were the ones who introduced him to different foods, and different art, and different stories. His friends made New York, New York. And he loved them for it. 

But if he was honest with himself…no amount of banter, of friendship, or content exchange, or cute Peter Parker’s little smile would ever quell the homesickness he felt in his gut for Rose Hill. 

He hadn’t been popular by any means in his town, but he’d had enough friends to feel safe and secure. He’d had a hard working and decent paying job at Sal’s auto mechanics. He’d helped his mom bake pie’s every night for the diner. 

Harley missed Rose Hill about the same as he loved New York and that was…hard to grapple with. He’d always thought that when he got out of that town he’d be happy and thriving. But now that he was actually there in the big city, he missed how the air smelt like ferns and grass and how everyone he’d ever grew up with was there. He found himself missing the pot luck after church every sunday and Miss O'Donovans blueberry crumble and Sal and Mary’s fond grins and his ma’s soft forehead kisses before she left for work and Angie’s stories and Elijah James’s house after the football team scored a win. 

He missed a lot of things about his hometown. And he was pretty sure it was showing to everybody. 

Tony had even offered to fly him back for a weekend, but Harley had shot that down fast. He already felt weird enough living in the billionaire’s house while he completed his senior year on scholarship from Midtown but he couldn’t just take advantage of Tony’s private jet just to go home. Nah, he’d wait and save up money for plane tickets of his own or something. His ma offered to pay for it, but they had only barely just gotten back on top of bills, so as much as he would love to come home and see her and Abbie, he wouldn’t do that either. Pepper had just hummed and offered to help him job hunt, or offered to interview him as a PA to different heads of Stark Industries. That one he’d considered, but only out of a growing need to take over the company and then the world. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it. 

There wasn’t a lot he could actually do about his homesickness, then, just look at his photos of his friends, and tell Peter that he wasn’t upset about anything. 

“You know you can talk to me if you are, right?” Peter chewed on his bottom lip, and Harley shifted to face him. They were pressed thigh to thigh on the bleachers and Harley kinda cherished the fact that he was pressed so close to the other boy. “I know you keep saying nothing’s wrong, Harls, but-”   
  
“I’d tell you if it was, Pete, I promise,” he murmured, and hesitantly moved to link their pinkies together. “I’m a little homesick is all. I miss Rose Hill.”   
  
“Oh.” His friend- _were they friends?_ Harley wondered as Peter shifted their hands so their fingers were laced together- paused awkwardly. “I always kinda thought you didn’t really like Rose Hill?”   
  
Harry mirrored his awkward pause, brow furrowing. “What gave you that impression?”   
  
“I dunno. I just kinda- assumed?”   
  
“Assumptions make an ass outta you and me, Peter,” Harley said on instinct. He wasn’t actually upset with the other boy, but it was kinda jarring to hear that Peter had just assumed he hated his hometown. “Yeah, Rose Hill was a little shit cause of the bullies, but I had friends and a pretty good support system in my mom and Sal. Hell, Pete, you realize I had a boyfriend right?”   
  
“Oh.” Peter relaxed his grip. Harley held on tighter. “I just thought- wait, you had a boyfriend?”   
  
“Jeez, I really need to start talking about my feelings or whatever,” Harley mumbled, because that was clearly why he’d never actually talked about EJ. “Yeah, I had a boyfriend. We broke up when I moved here ‘cause I didn’t want long distance.”   
  
Peter’s hand relaxed again, and again, Harley held on tighter. They were- something, and he wasn’t letting that something go just because Peter didn’t realize that he wasn’t as pure as freshly fallen snow. “Oh. Do you still- like- you know, like, do you still uh- have um- feelings for him?”   
  
“Not really.” Looking away from Peter, he focused on the gray sky. Maybe it would snow soon. “He was just my first everything, I guess. Is that- is that okay?” 

“Everything,” Peter faltered, “Oh. Oh- like. Everything, everything?”   
  
This time it was his hand that relaxed, but Peter held on tightly. “Not to uh- talk about it so much- but yeah, um, yeah. We uh- the month before I got the scholarship. In his truck. Under the stars.”   
  
“In his _truck.”_ Harley finally looked back at Peter to find the other boy's eyes were soft, and the grin on his face showed Harley that he was in for a lot of teasing the next few days. “Under the stars in his truck? You’re a stereotype.”   
  
“It was romantic!”   
  
“I’ll be more romantic.”   
  
Both their ears burned bright red, and Peter looked like he’d shocked himself to say it. Harley knew the blushes on their face had nothing- absolutely nothing- to do with the cold wind that brushed their cheeks. The grin on his face rivaled the one that had been on Peter’s earlier. He would be able to give as good as he got, apparently. 

“Will you now?” 

“I-” Peter’s face grew redder. “I’ll find a way to make it more romantic than the stars.”   
  
“I believe you.”   
  
“So uh-” Peter got even redder, and Harley’s heart sped up. “Will you-” 

“Harley!” A voice, something he had longed to hear in his first two months here shouted across the wind. “Harls! Sunshine!” 

He jerked, standing up fast- so fast that he almost fell out of the bleachers- his hand releasing Peter’s. The world felt like it was spinning, and suddenly, for just a second, he thought he was back home. He thought it was the football field in the snow and the first night EJ had kissed him, with snow falling down around them. He thought it was Rose Hill and he and his mom would gossip while making pies, and he would be fixing up a car with Sal the next morning, and EJ would come in with flowers and ask Sal for permission to date Harley, and he’d made fun of him for asking permission from someone who wasn’t his family and Sal would huff and say it was as good as. 

“Elijah-” Harley threw himself down the flight of bleachers, and ran to where EJ was pressed to the other side of the fence. “Elijah!” 

“Sunshine, you look pale as the snow itself.” EJ immediately grinned, and their hands linked on the chainmail fence. “What have they got you doin’ up here in the city? Never going outside, never working out huh- skinny as a beanpole and it's only been six months since you left.” 

A laugh bubbled in his chest. “Just cause I don’t have you to bully me into working out doesn’t mean I don’t work out.”   
  
“Whatever you say, sunshine.” EJ’s grin was something familiar and warm and it tugged on Harley’s gut just like it had used to. “Sootch back, lemme hop the fence.”

Harley did so, watching his dark-haired ex as he took a few steps back, then jumped the entirety of the fence in one fell swoop. His face felt really hot again, and he was pretty sure his cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “What are you doing here, Elijah?”   
  
“I thought you’d be missing us all by now.” EJ rubbed the back of his neck, before pulling him into a tight hug. Harley pressed his face to EJ’s chest with a breathy laugh. “Plus, I ain’t ever really spent my winter vacation somewhere other than Rose Hill. I thought it’d be a nice surprise.” 

“It is a nice surprise.” He pulled away to look at EJ’s face, and flushed brightly when those sparkling blue eyes met his own. “I’ve missed our town a lot, you know?”

“I figured. You always were a little baby about homesickness.”   
  
“Oh, now don’t you start-”   
  
“Remember that time we all went to Nashville and rented a hotel and you cried cause-”   
  
“Shut up!” Harley laughed, and the world felt brighter. “Shut up!”   
  
Peter coughed awkwardly from the side, and Harley pulled back. EJ pulled him back into another tight hold, before letting him go, hand falling to his belt loops to keep him close. He beamed up at him. “Pete- this is-”   
  
“EJ.” Peter’s jaw tightened slightly, and Harley packed that away for thinking about when he wasn’t so overwhelmed with happiness from seeing his best friend from his hometown. “EJ Jackson. I’m Harley’s…”   
  
“Best friend,” Harley coughed, “And um- who we were just talking about. The ex.”   
  
“Aww, sunshine.” EJ pulled him closer. “You were talking about me?” 

“Yeah, yeah, don’t let it go to your head.” 

His eyes found Peter’s and his grin faltered slightly. If he didn’t know any better he would say that Peter looked upset which- maybe he was, but he didn’t even really have any reason to be. Surely, Peter knew that- 

EJ hummed, and pulled Harley into a side hug. “C’mon, I want you to show me around. I’m only here for a week after all.”   
  
“Only a week?” He blinked, turning to EJ. “Elijah James, that’s not nearly enough time to show you everything! C’mon, we’ll start with the food- I know you haven't, but Jesus, I gotta show you all the food in New York- it's amazing-”   
  
And EJ led him away. He didn’t notice at the time, but Peter didn’t follow. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Okay but like-” Ned tossed a piece of popcorn at him, and Peter ignored it in favor of pouting even harder than he had been. “You have to admit EJ’s hot.”  
  
“He is _not,”_ Peter hissed back at his friend, then crossed his arms. “I guess he _kind of_ looks good, but he's not that hot at all!”   
  
Ned stared at him. Peter glared back. Ned threw five more pieces of popcorn at him. “You’re a useless bi, you know that? I’m _straight_ and even I’d let that farm boy pick me up and rail me against his beat up truck, and the fact that you’re denying that that 6’1 pure Tennessee beef is hot- I don’t even know who you are anymore!”

“Ow! OW!” A piece of popcorn hit his eye and Peter contemplated hitting his friend with a pillow. “You’ve been hanging out with Flash too much! EJ isn’t hot, he’s a man stealer!” 

“EJ is Clark Kent!” Ned was still pelting him with popcorn. “He’s Superman, Peter! Also, if I remember correctly, weren’t _you_ the one who stole his boyfriend?”   
  
“Ex-boyfriend! They’d broken up!” 

“Listen, man, I love you,” Ned started, and Peter waited patiently for his friend to give him some words of affirmation. “But you’re competing with a literal Kryptonian. I mean seriously, the jaw line, the muscles, the height… not the 5’9 isn’t sexy, Pete, but he’s like- prime time Superman. It’s like he’s the main guy from Smallville.” 

Peter _knew_ it wasn’t that Ned was trying to destroy his confidence, but from where he was sitting, his confidence felt pretty destroyed. Shifting, he huffed out, “I’ll have you know that my dad _and_ uncle Ben were both 5’8 at my age, and when they hit their freshman year of college they grew to 6’5 and 6’4 so I’m destined to be taller than him.”   
  
“Mhmm. Still not a sexy Clark Kent who owns a pickup truck and the hearts of everyone around him.”   
  
“You know,” Peter gritted out, looking away from Ned. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you wanted to be _his_ friend, not mine.”   
  
Ned blinked, then frowned. “Hey, Peter- I was just-”   
  
“No, Ned, I get it.” A growing pit of anger settled into his stomach, and he refused to look at his best friend. “He’s hot and charming and everybody likes him more than me. I understand that he looks like Clark Kent from Smallville and I get that he has a cool pickup truck while I’m eighteen and don’t even have my license. I understand that I’m not as good as him, okay? I get _why_ everyone likes him so much, Ned! I understand!” 

“Peter-”   
  
He stood, and began pacing the length of his room. “But I don’t really care about what you and Flash and MJ- and- and- and all of our other friends think about me versus him, I care what _Harley_ thinks! And you know what, you sitting here, telling me how much _better_ he is than me- i just- I know that, Ned! I know he’s better! I know that he makes Harley blush, and smile- and I know that every day of this week the two of them have spent side by side, pressed up to one another! I know that Harley has taken him to every spot that was just _ours_ and I know that EJ can’t stop fucking touching him, and I know that it doesn’t _matter_ when Harley invites me to hang out with them because he doesn’t actually _want me there-”_

“Fuck, Ned.” Peter was gasping for air now, but he couldn’t stop his thoughts from tumbling out of his head, “I thought- I thought me and Harley were something! I thought we were something, but then of course Harley’s ex had to come back and be so fucking _perfect_ that everyone likes him better! Of course he comes back and _he_ gets to touch the small of Harley’s back, and loop an arm around his waist, and hold him tightly! Of course he gets to have everything I wanted- because he’s _Superman_ and I’m just Peter Parker! I wanted- I wanted- so much and- and- I don’t need you rubbing in my face that I’ve completely lost the one boy who makes me _smile,_ Ned!” 

Finally, he glanced at his friend. His face felt hot and the world felt dizzy and there were tears in his eyes. “He took EJ to Delmar’s and then to the Park. They sat on _my_ bench and talked and I caught them there and Harley acted like nothing was wrong, but that was something that was _ours._ Ned that was- that was something that was just for me and him. And- and he shared it with EJ, because EJ is _better_ than me.”   
  
“Peter, dude…”   
  
“I’ve lost him.” Peter scrubbed his face, trying to stop the tears from coming. “I’ve lost him.” 

He felt Ned’s hand land on his shoulder. “Peter, Harley doesn’t-”  
  
“Shut up.” He jerked away. “I don’t wanna hear about how he doesn’t love me and I didn’t have a chance again EJ’s muscles and height and eyes- I don’t- I don’t wanna _hear it_ Ned-”   
  
“Peter-”   
  
Letting the nanobots that made up his suit over take him, he threw himself out of the window. He needed air- he needed space- he needed not to be reminded that he was _worse_. That he was worse, and that in being worse he lost the one boy he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to lose. 

Harley had _seen him._ Halrey had looked past all of his masks. He’d seen past ‘academic nerdy boy who loved photography and read Star Wars fanfic’ and his ‘superhero fighting for the greater good’ masks and seen _him_ . He’d seen Peter for the boy he really was- the rage, the grief, the sadness, the love, the choice to be kind- he’d seen Peter for _everything_ that Peter was. And he had thought- he’d thought- 

He’d thought that was good enough. That he was good enough. That Harley had seen him for everything he was and still _wanted_ him. He had felt _seen._

Now, he felt invisible.

  
  
  
  
  


The roof of Stark Tower was their place, Harley mused quietly as he made his way up the staircase to the roof. He and Peter had met on the roof, and it was one of those places where they both found each other pretty often. It was _theirs._

But tonight was a little different. Peter hadn't invited him onto the roof, like they had a habit of doing for each other. Friday hadn’t told him that Peter was on the roof. Instead, Ned had texted him that Peter was really upset and ducked out of their usual movie watching. Ned had been panicking over where the hell Peter could be, but Harley already knew where he would be. Peter liked the roofs of New York, and He loved Stark Tower’s roof in particular. 

He pushed open the door quietly, chewing at his bottom lip. If Peter heard the door over the gust of wind that passed them by, then he didn’t react. Harley glanced up at the dark sky. It would snow soon. Slipping further into the roof, he gently sat down next to Peter, pressing their thighs together. 

“Hey.”   
  
Peter didn’t take off his mask or say anything. His shoulders were shaking and Harley gently looped his arm around the other boy, resting his head on his friend's shoulder. He didn’t know why- but he said the first thing that came to mind, “EJ asked me to come back home for next semester. Says Rosehills too boring without its local genius. Says everyone misses me too much to do much else than sulk.” 

He felt Peter tense under his cheek. The boy finally spoke, voice tight and breaking, “What’d you say?” 

"That I loved him." Peter tensed more, but Harley wasn't done. "That I loved Rose Hill. That I loved what we had once. But six months changes a lot of things, and I didn't think Rose Hill was still home."

“Oh.”   
  
“Yeah, oh.” Peter leaned slightly so they were pressed closer, “Look, Peter- I won’t- I won’t lie to you. When Elijah showed up, I thought it was a good thing. I missed home so much, but um- showing him around New York, I realized how much I love it here. How much I love Queens.”   
  
Peter sniffed quietly, whispering so softly that he almost missed it against the wind. “So New York is home?”   
  
“I think they’re both home?” Harley hesitated, considering for a second that maybe Peter didn’t want him to be leaning on him right now. Pulling away, Peter tensed hard, and turned to look at him, still in the mask. “Rose Hill is where I grew up, but New York is… New York. They’re both good. They’re both home.”   
  
They looked at each other for a second, before Harley spoke again, “Can I take your mask off?”   
  
“I don’t-” Peter’s voice sounded raw. “I don’t really want you to see me cry.”   
  
“Oh...Peter…”   
  
Reaching forward, his hands trembled. He knew Peter. He knew that Peter didn’t really mean that. He knew that Peter wasn’t afraid of Harley seeing him cry, just of being _exposed._ Being known. Slowly, he pushed up the mask, waiting for Peter to stop him. Peter’s hands fell on his wrists, but made no effort to to stop him. Finally, the mask was off. Peter looked at him through tears.

Letting out a quiet hum, he brushed his fingers across Peter’s cheekbones. “There you are. There’s my Peter.”

“I just…” Peter leaned into his hands. “You were really happy when he was here.” 

“Of course I was happy.” Gently, he pressed their foreheads together, and Peter gave up any ruse that had by pulling him into his lap, arms tight around him. “Elijah’s been my friend since I was eight, and we dated for six months before I left. He and I- we’re friends. I think we’re always gonna be friends. But I wasn’t happy how you think I was.”   
  
“You love him.”   
  
“I loved him,” Harley murmured quietly, closing his eyes. “Once. Shit, Peter, he was- I wasn’t joking about my first time being with him. That wasn’t a joke. I let him have everything because I wanted to give it. And- you know me. You know I don’t give people things easily.”   
  
Peter’s voice was trembling. “But you gave him… everything.” 

“I did.” He almost pulled back, but Peter held on tighter. “I did and I don’t regret it. It was a really good first time. But I wouldn’t give him everything again, now that we’ve been apart for six months. Theres- There’s a difference between dating someone because you’re the only two queer kids in town and you maybe have feelings for each other, and- and-” 

Harley’s voice failed him, but he prayed Peter knew what he meant. 

“The difference between what, Harley.” It wasn’t a question- maybe it should’ve been. But Peter _sounded_ broken. Harley opened his eyes and was met with a fire, a blaze, in Peter’s brown ones. It was snowing now. The snow crowned Peter’s hair and made him look like a winter prince, waiting for an answer that would seal his fate. 

He swallowed. “That and _this_ . That’s a lot different than- than- feeling seen. Knowing that I get to wake up every day and see you in the Tower, or on patrol, or at school. Knowing that every single day I get to be seen for everything I am. That’s- this is _different_ than I what I had with EJ. He- I loved EJ, a lot, but at the end of the day we really were dating cause we were the only two queer kids in town and we fell into each other’s arms like that. He might always be my first love- but- but-”   
  
“He didn’t make me feel _raw,”_ Harley finally admitted, and he had to close his eyes again. 

He felt raw. 

“He didn’t make me feel like I was finally alive. He didn’t make me feel like I was human. God, Peter- I- I’ve spent every single day of my life feeling like an island in a sea of ice, and you come along and show me that I’m more than that. You came along and made me feel like a _boy._ I loved EJ. I loved what EJ and I had. But you- you make me feel human. You make me feel beautiful and wanted and loved, you make me laugh, and you keep up with my rambles and you don’t mind that I talk too much or too little depending on the day, and just- fuck, Peter- you’re-”   
  
He cut himself off, opening his eyes to meet Peter’s. The other boy was so beautiful in the snow, so fucking pretty. This was what he wanted. This was what he wanted for the rest of his life. 

“I know that all our friends have been calling EJ Superman cause of the whole farm boy thing," Harley whispered, refusing to look away, "But I think you should know…you're my Superman. You're my Superman, and you're my hero, and the fact you thought I'd leave-"

Peter jerked forward and kissed him hard, pressing him close enough that he could feel the pounding of Peter’s heart against his chest. His was no better, racing at a speed that was probably dangerous for a kid with a heart condition. Pressing deeper, he tangled his hands into those dark brown curls, and kissed back just as hard. 

They were sitting there, kissing in the snow for what felt like forever. It couldn’t have been more than a minute but it felt like an eternity and Harley never ever wanted it to stop. When it finally did, he chased Peter’s lips until the other boy huffed a quiet laugh and started to grin into their kisses. 

“I thought I lost you,” Peter admitted, cupping his face to kiss him again before he spoke, “I thought you were gonna choose EJ, and I was a little terrified because you and everyone else liked him so so much more than me-”   
  
“I like you more than I’ve ever liked him,” Harley assured quickly, kissing all over his face. “Besides- how could I ever leave my Superman?”   
  
Peter kissed him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Please, tell me what you think!! hit me up at peachy-keener on tumblr or leave a comment here!


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